


Love Locked Up

by darlingreadsalot



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Dreams, F/M, HEA, Kissing, Move into the Grey, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Protective Ben Solo, Rey is thrown in jail because of Poe's big fat mouth, Reylo - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-18
Updated: 2021-01-10
Packaged: 2021-03-10 20:40:26
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,370
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28143255
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darlingreadsalot/pseuds/darlingreadsalot
Summary: The dreams have been haunting the two bondmates ever since Crait, when Rey closed the door on the man that she couldn't seem to get off her mind. Are they just dreams? Force visions? Strange occurrences from the Force? They are both anxious to find out. On a mission for the Resistance in the Outer Rim, Rey, Poe and Finn find themselves thrown in jail when the Supreme Leader, Kylo Ren makes an appearance on the planet. Can they let go of their hurts and work towards a better future together? Will they discover the truth behind their dreams?
Relationships: Kylo Ren/Rey, Rey/Ben Solo, Rey/Ben Solo | Kylo Ren
Comments: 18
Kudos: 24
Collections: ReylOlds, Reylo Readers & Writers - The Marvellous Moodboard Event





	1. Into the Dreaming

**Author's Note:**

  * For [GodspeedRebels](https://archiveofourown.org/users/GodspeedRebels/gifts).



> I saw this Moodboard created by Godspeedrebels and immediately had a few different ideas in mind for a story. I hope you enjoy this story and the journey these characters take to their HEA. This chapter is un-beta'd, so all mistakes are mine.

She was running—running through the mist. But was she running toward something or running away from something? Is this a dream or a nightmare? 

Her surroundings are so foreign; she can’t recognize anything. The ground was dirt and dried grass, but she could see nothing more than ten feet around herself with the mist and fog. Even her clothes were unrecognizable—a white shift and no sign of her arm wraps or short boots. Rey’s hair was loose, and she was barefoot as she ran.

Rey could never see where she was going, or she had come from. The air was cool and still but for the mist that hung in the air. Her skin prickled, and her breath fogged as her feet tread the dirt crusted ground. All she knew was the silence as she ran through the mist. Always running, with no clear sign of stopping. She didn’t know for sure, but Rey wondered if something would happen in she stopped. She wasn’t brave enough to let her legs slow in their movements. 

Was she being pursued, or was she the pursuer? She could not tell. She wasn’t frightened, nor was she angry. The only emotion she could pinpoint with any certainty was a sense of urgency. 

And when she awoke, Rey’s heart would pound, and her mouth was dry, and she was soaked with sweat. She would look around to try and get her bearings, but she would still remember the feelings from inside her dream as vividly as in her waking hours. _Could it have been a vision?_ Leia had told Rey that Force visions were possible for someone as strong in the Force as she was, but that it was important not to fall into the trap they set for her. 

_````_

_“Don’t let them blind you to the truth,” Leia said after Rey confided in the former princess about her strange dreams that returned night after night._

_“What truth?” Rey wiped her brow after her run through the jungle. The constant dreams and waking in the middle of the night were starting to take a toll on her training. And she was becoming frustrated, not only from the dreams but from their lack of clarity._

_“That you have a choice. No matter what happens, you can choose to follow the path or not.” Leia took Rey’s hand and gave it a gentle squeeze before heading back to the base for whatever meeting was scheduled that day._

_Rey pondered the General's words and couldn’t help but wonder if Leia was talking about more than just believing in Force visions and the inevitability. Though she never spoke of him, Rey could often guess when the General thought of her son and the path he took._

_Rey had thought about telling her what really happened with her son and his journey to the Dark. But she was afraid of breaking Leia’s heart once again when she realized it changed nothing. He had the chance to come back with her, and he decided to take power instead._

_Rey ruminated on that moment more times than she’d like to admit. It was charged with so many emotions during that time that only with hindsight was she able to untangle them all._

_She wanted Ben to take her hand, to give up the Dark, but taking him back to the Resistance would not have been practical. He didn’t think he could return to his mother after everything, so he chose the path within his control. Ben didn’t think his mother could accept his darkness as his childhood had proven to him. And learning so much about Rey in such a short time, he could see how similar they truly were—and he didn’t think she would be accepted with that newfound knowledge._

_He was trying to give her a place to belong, and she turned away with her lack of understanding. But his words were not the kindest and did not endear her to his proposal._

_**Oh, Ben. If I had the chance to go back and make another choice** —she would never apologize for wanting to stop the killing but could have found another option. _

_But she can’t travel back in time; she can’t take back her decision to leave him on the floor of the burning throne room, just as she can’t force him to renounce the First Order and come to her. They were stuck, and that is what saddened and angered Rey the most. She’d always been able to adapt to her situation, always moving, learning, surviving. But while she continued to learn and survive with the Resistance, she was starting to feel restricted by the role they had placed her in. She knew that if things didn’t change soon, she might break._

_````_

So she put the thoughts behind her. Rey stopped agonizing over the things she could not change, she had a job to do. That's what she told herself at least.

Rey took a long, deep breath in and let it out in a slow and controlled manner. She couldn't focus on what ifs anymore, she had to get a few more runs on the course before she left for the mission. It was important for her to stay focused on the present, she couldn't allow herself to be swept up in sentiment or naive feelings of hope for someone unwilling to take a step with her. She could only pray that they would not run into each other anytime soon. Rey didn't know how she would react if she were to come face to face with the Supreme Leader. 

_Ugh. Focus!_ She took off at a run and let her thoughts drift away into the void of the exercise and all reflections on difficult men and confusing dreams were left for another time.


	2. What's in a Dream?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kylo dreams--he plans for the First Order's success for the Galaxy while fighting his desire to reconnect with Rey.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Onto Kylo's view. Thanks for reading and I hope to continue to update on a regular-ish schedule. LOL. All mistakes are mine. I hope you all enjoy!

It was always the same whenever he closed his eyes. His dreams were filled with visions of the night with Skywalker and the temple or faces of the many he had killed. Often, he was haunted by those he could not save and how his weakness cost him.

The dreams got better when he met _her_. Instead of constant loneliness, pain, and death—he saw bits of her past and their encounters. The visions of their conversations were the best; the second was when she fought him.

But in the months since Crait, his dreams had consisted of mist and the sounds of bare feet running across the dirt and dead grass. Sometimes he would catch glimpses of something white out of the corner of his eye. But it was often gone as quickly as it came. A few times, he thought he saw a glimpse of golden skin with wavy brown hair glowing free. _Was it Rey? Was she running from something? From me?_ That thought made his stomach churn and his heartache.

He wanted to call out, to know if he was dreaming of Rey. Deep down, he wished to reestablish their connection and see if she would answer. But his voice was always stolen by the wind, and his words were lost to his own ears. The man that fought to be Kylo Ren and forget Ben Solo felt the fight inside him intensify since Snoke's death, and he didn't know what to do to remedy his situation. He knew he could never be fully Kylo Ren, but he was afraid to fall back into the trap of Ben Solo. 

When he woke once more in his quarters on his ship, he felt just as alone as he did in the dream. His dark silken sheets fell to his lap to reveal his shirtless state. The man checked the chrono next to his bed and saw that it was the early hours of the day cycle, and he still had almost four hours before he needed to begin his duties. The hulking man allowed himself to fall back into his pillow and groan in frustration. 

He wished he could take his frustrations out on something, but his body was so physically tired, he couldn't bring himself to rise from his splayed position beneath his sheet. 

Kylo wished to make changes to the First Order but had been facing opposition on certain fronts when it came to the new direction he wanted to bring the Galaxy. One of his first orders of business was checking the validity of altering the stormtrooper program. 

He'd never been sold on Hux's "Educational Program." Kidnapping children and forcing them to fight was never going to end well. Former trooper FN 2187 was proof that there were issues. He knew if changes weren't made to the program's structure, the single defection could signal the beginning of a deluge of troopers fleeing for new lives elsewhere. 

Hux maintained a stubborn attitude concerning his precious "life's work," but Kylo knew that they had to adapt to prosper. 

Snoke wanted to take the Galaxy in one direction of total domination. But the Empire tried that route in the past, which led to the Rebellion and the Emperor's death at the hands of his apprentice Darth Vader, Anakin Skywalker, followed. 

Compliance had its uses, but it would not work in the long run. If Kylo could not prove to the Galaxy that they were better off working with him than fighting against him, then they were doomed to continue the cycle of fighting. 

And as much as he has fought in his life, Kylo is tired of fighting. He closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths. Concentrating on his arms and legs, he relaxed his muscles to trick his body back into slumber. Whether he would be successful was unknown, he'd only been successful about half of the times he tried the technique. He hoped this time was one of his successes. 

He wished he could speak to Rey. If nothing else, their conversations or arguments would drive away the exhaustion enough that he could get through his day without requiring anything stronger than caff to get his work done. 

But Rey seemed to be avoiding him as much as possible in the most recent days. No matter what, she maintained a cool aloofness to him whenever the bond managed to snap into place between them. And though he longed to hear the sound of her voice, he followed her lead. He would not force his company on her, more than the Force attempted, at least. 

As the tension released his muscles to the softness of his mattress, the self-named Kylo Ren let the soft sounds of the ship's humming lull him to sleep. When he woke promptly at 0700, he couldn't recall any dreams when he managed to get back to sleep. 

Kylo was grateful for that small mercy. 

He tried to harden himself against her--as much as he was able anyway. Kylo had taken steps to protect her from the First Order in small, untraceable ways. He knew if she chose to ship herself to any of their ships again, he could do nothing but try and help her escape or order her to remain unharmed. Something told him that was the most unlikely scenario he could come up with. Well, after proclaiming her love for him over HoloRecording. 

He would do his duty as the Supreme Leader and bring a new order to the Galaxy. The slavery, lawlessness, and suffering of innocence would come to an end. The New Republic failed to help so many that needed their help—he would not allow their failure to continue. The First Order had the resources to keep the Systems running smoothly, and despite their introduction to the rest of the Galaxy, he knew they could do a great deal of good. 

It might be possible in the future to bring back a structure very similar to that body for the systems, but they would have nowhere near the amount of power they had before.

But to do that, the First Order couldn't be waylaid by fighting the Resistance at every turn. He knew his mother would never see the good that could be done. All she would see is the lack of a democratic vision. Well, there was democracy, and it failed. She did what she could do for the people, but she faced opposition in her years as a Senator. So much wasted time with little to show for it. Politicians were not what the Galaxy needed. He could see the Senate's value, but in many cases, they did more harm than good. And he wanted to look farther and push the limits of what the Galaxy had settled for in the last 50 years. 

His ideas were progressive in some ways and restrictive in others--but he'd seen the results of the Senate's lax policies and how they affected those not part of the Core Worlds. 

He had to focus on the future; his visit to the Adega System could be a big part of that. 

On the morning of his visit, he couldn't help but think that the next few days would be critical to his and the Galaxy's future. Kylo didn't hold much belief in Force visions or prophecies—but he couldn’t help the small flame of hope that it would involve a certain Scavenger he couldn’t seem to hate.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! Kudos and comments are always appreciated. And a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to everyone. Heres to the end of 2020. What a year it's been.


	3. Behind Bars

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rey's in jail and it's all Poe's fault. Surprises are in store.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So apparently when I said Friday for an update, my brain really meant Monday. Sorry, it'a a bit later than I wanted, but I couldn't stop adding to it, and then I ended up splitting the chapter so I could get the story moving along. All mistakes are mine, so I hope there's nothing too crazy here. Enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I know I am taking liberties by using Belsavis here, but it was the location of a prison colony and I hope any that are familiar with the place will forgive my creative changes. It just seemed too perfect to pass up. :)
> 
> Extra note: I made a change to the end for anyone that has read my update.

_Kriffing, Dameron. You just had to open your mouth, didn't you?_

Rey paced her stone cell, trying to think of a way out. Her mind was calm for the moment, but she knew that they were likely to be picked up in the system as criminals. The guards were rather vague with how things worked, but Rey knew they were likely to come up on at least one database for questioning or imprisonment. They had to find a way out of there and fast. She couldn't use the Force to bust her way out. Somehow, they had blocked her ability to connect with the Force inside the cell. And she couldn't mind trick the guards for that same reason. Not that there were many guards to try it on. The prisoners were left to their boredom with meals brought twice a day.

She could only hope that Poe and Finn were trying to figure out a way out because her mind was coming up blank. They'd confiscated her lightsaber and all her tools, so left her with nothing useful. She'd checked every inch of the little cell after they locked her in, and the search was fruitless. The cell they had her placed in was empty but for a stone slab and a blanket with a few small "windows" to allow some sunlight. And in the corner behind a privacy shield, they had a primitive fresher to relieve yourself. Thankfully, she hadn't needed to avail herself of that yet. Rey wiped her hand over her face and sat down on the bench in frustration. The only saving grace to their situation was that they had finished the mission before the incident occurred. 

Things had been going well for her and the Resistance recently. Rey had finally become comfortable in her place with friends, and her training had been going well. Though she felt bouts of loneliness from time to time, she could push those feelings down when remembering that she made a choice. And for the most part, Rey was happy with her decision. During her moments alone, she had to actively bury the thoughts deep inside so her mind wouldn't torture her with possibilities that would never come to pass. But she couldn't allow herself to dwell on the past. Her mind needed to be firmly in the present and their current circumstances. 

Even if she could salvage some parts, she wouldn't be able to get the door open. She could only get a quick look at the door-locking mechanism when they were escorted down the hallway, but what she saw proved impossible from inside the cell. Rey was pulled out of her thoughts by the sounds of boots walking down the stone corridor. She went to the door, hoping one more time to plead her case with the guard for their release. When she grabbed the bars at the door's window and pressed her face into the opening, she realized she would have been better off staying out of sight. 

The Supreme Leader—a helmet-less Kylo Ren, was walking down the corridor with the warden, a human male with bright white hair and fitted armor. By usual standards, the warden would have been considered average height, but he appeared comically tiny beside the Supreme Leader. They were discussing prison reform and what could be altered for the future Rey was about ready to step back into the shadow of her cell with the hope that Kylo didn't notice her when she caught his eye. He didn't give any indication that he knew her more than a slight widening of his eyes as they were walking past. He glanced between her in the cell and warden, trying to put the pieces together. 

He shifted towards the warden while still keeping her insight. "What type of prisoners do you have hear?" The warden cut off his monologue about plans for the planet's prison with some surprise but seemed to recover quickly despite his currently intimidating company. Rey couldn't help but send a confused look Ren's way. _What is he doing?_ Then she remembered that they were supposed to be enemies and that she should be glaring at the man. But even her deadliest glare would have little effect on Kylo Ren. And her locked in a cell also had some bearing on making her angry glances less than intimidating. 

"W-well, Supreme Leader," he bowed, "there are a number of troublemakers that come through Belsavis that step out of line." He appeared hesitant while still hoping he was on the right track with the conversation. 

Ren raised an eyebrow and nodded, waiting for the rest of the explanation. Rey didn't want to admit it, but she felt a small sense of amusement at watching the warden squirm in Ren's presence. He tried to hide it, but the sudden change in the tour unsettled the shorter human. And since Kylo was already aware of her presence, there was no need to hide within the cell for fear of discovery.

"For those visitors, they stay a night or two here and then returned to their ships or accommodations and warned about further disrupting this port. We get a few of those travelers a couple times a month and they learn quickly that it's better not to make trouble." His words got faster as the pitch in his voice continued to climb. Rey was surprised the warden hadn't started bowing and asking to kiss the hem of Ren's cape. However, that wasn't a very kind thought. The warden had seemed very confident and intimidating around the prison. It must have been playing host to the Supreme Leader that caused his air to diminish a little though Kylo wasn't trying to scare the man.

"And the others?" Ren asked. He kept his eyes on Rey, but the warden didn't seem to notice his preoccupation. He was too busy trying to keep his ability to breathe under control. Rey wished she could connect with the Force. She would enjoy getting a little peek into Ren's head. His actions just seemed so strange that Rey was having difficulty working them out. And though he kept his eyes on her the whole time, his expression was reserved and calm. It was a little unnerving to see the man so ruled by his emotions suddenly be the epitome of calm.

The warden continued his explanation. "Then there are prisoners taken in for much more serious crimes or those that are wanted by other systems. They are processed here and offered the opportunity to be tried under our laws or deported to the other system." He must have gotten himself under control as he realized that the Supreme Leader wasn't seeking to find fault with their practices but was merely seeking clarification on their systems ideas of imprisonment and punishment. The warden straightened his posture.

"You arrest travelers wanted in other systems?" Ren asked. Ren's voice would sound merely curious to an outsider, but Rey could hear the surprise layered beneath his casual tone.

"Most that come through here come and go as they please, and the law doesn't pay too much attention to them unless they cause a problem." He rubbed the top of his head and mussed his hair in thought. paused and waved his hand toward the cell which held Finn and Poe, "These two jokers and the girl with them caused quite the ruckus in the cantina this morning." He glared at their door, but the boys didn't show themselves. Now more than ever, Rey wished that Poe could be more serious and less conspicuous when out on missions. 

"We get them in the system, and it turns out, they're wanted by the First Order," the warden said. His fingers move to his forehead as if he's fighting a headache at the extra problems Poe and Finn brought to his day. "And with you here now, Supreme Leader, I offer them to you for punishment." He bowed once again, and Ren finally pulled his eyes from Rey's.

"And what of the girl? You said she was with them?" Rey couldn't tell for sure, but she thought Kylo was goading her with his words. Rey couldn't see into Ren's mind to see what he was up to, and that irritated her a great deal. She didn't know what game Ren was playing. If the First Order wanted Finn and Poe as members of the Resistance, then as the "killer of Snoke," Rey would _definitely_ be a desirable target for imprisonment at the very least. She was both miffed and amused that they could believe she was capable of killing Snoke and defeating all of his guards and Kylo Ren and managing to escape with barely a scratch on her. 

"Ah, I figured since she seemed friendly with those men, she would be in the system alongside them. But surprisingly, she was completely absent from any holos and system database from here to the Core." The shorter man looked surprised at the very idea. If Rey had to guess, he had never come across that situation before, and he didn't know how to move forward with that revelation.

Rey felt just as confused as the warden at that information, but Kylo didn't seem concerned at all. _What is he playing at?_ She kept an eye on the boys' cell, and it seemed that they finally noticed the excitement in the corridor and pressed their faces into the bars. Thankfully, they kept quiet and didn't add any smart remarks to the already charged atmosphere. Rey tried to convey the need for silence with her eyes, but they might not have required the look as they glanced between her and the two speakers before shifting back into the shadow of their cell. 

Rey turned her eyes back to Kylo. Though what she tried to say she didn't know. It could have been for him not to mention anything in the boys' range, not to sell her out the warden, or to ask for release. She didn't know anymore. Rey didn't know what her eyes said, but Kylo saw something in them, whatever it was, and clenched his jaw in answer.

Kylo shifted his stance to look at the warden and ignored Rey's look. "Ah, so I take it you'll be letting her leave tomorrow?" 

Rey didn't know how to react to this turn of events. _Why wasn't he asking that they be turned over to him immediately? Why wasn't he telling the warden that I was an enemy that needed to be dealt with?_ For once, Rey wished she could communicate with Ren through the Force and ask him what the kriff was going on, but her Force ability was still blocked. She could only glare at him and sneak peeks at the other cell to see if they were aware of who was right outside their cells.

"That was the plan Supreme Leader… unless, you have information stating otherwise?" the warden asked carefully. He seemed very tentative and cautious when addressing Ren, which Rey thought was fairly smart considering all the damage he could do if provoked. But Ren didn't seem too eager to share anything with the warden at that time.

"No, of course not. I am sure she will be very happy to leave in the morning and will remember that it would be best to keep better company in the future." The corner of his mouth twitched at his own statement, and Rey wished he was just a _little bit_ closer so she could get her hands on him. She wished she could give him a good thrashing for his arrogance.

He then turned his back on her and turned to face the warden fully, and she couldn't see his face anymore or hear what he said very clearly though she pushed as close to her door as possible to try and make out his words.

"Open… speak… don't disturb…" He straightened up and contemplated the other door before pushing the window divide closed on the boys' cell. That confused Rey when she noticed that the warden was leaving the corridor, but Kylo had remained. Their eyes locked for a moment or two before Rey started to feel the curious sensation that came with being in Kylo's presence. The tension in the air was palpable, and Rey could almost taste the anticipation bubbling up between them. 

She watched him as he remained in the hallway, silent and still. He let his hand drop from the door and clenched his fists at his side. Rey could hear the creaking of his leather gloves as he stood with his head slightly bowed; it was a stark contrast to the quiet of the prison corridor. Whatever happened next, it was going to change everything; Rey could feel it deep in her bones. And she was ready for it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading! I really hope you all like what's coming up next! Kudos and comments are awesome as always.

**Author's Note:**

> Kudos and Comments are much appreciated! Kylo/Ben is up next.


End file.
